Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to guarantee that its commitment to additional levels of respite provision is met.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34221 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that the new duties on the NHS and local authorities to inform carers of their rights under the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 are implemented effectively.
Answer · Frank McAveety: We are issuing comprehensive guidance to local authorities and the NHS on the new duties introduced by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 to inform carers of their right to an assessment. We have consulted widely with local authorities, the NHS…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to oversee the development of appropriate, accessible and age-appropriate information and support activities for children and young people with caring responsibilities.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34224 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 is sufficiently resourced and implemented to ensure that (a) young carers receive an assessment and (b) there are sustained services providing appropriate support, including specific respite services for su…
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34221 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to allocate resources to income maximisation services targeted at carers.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34224 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the development of physically accessible public transport.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Executive is committed to an accessible public transport system and we will work with public transport providers and others to improve access to services and facilities across Scotland. We have established the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland to…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend concessionary fares, including access to subsidised taxi services, to carers and, if so, how it will do so.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Transport authorities are responsible for making and administering concessionary travel schemes under section 94(4) of the Transport Act 1985. The powers within the act are discretionary and it is for individual authorities to determine what eligible categori…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting the recognition of carers' issues in national and local transport strategies.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: <I>Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements: Transport Indicators for Scotland</I> stated the Executive's commitment to delivering an efficient, safe transport system which meets the needs of all and is accessible to all.<P>Guidance issued by the Scottis…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is promoting carer- and family-friendly policies (a) in its own practices and (b) amongst employers.
Answer · Frank McAveety: In line with its Diversity Strategy, the Scottish Executive has a range of policies to allow its staff to meet their caring responsibilities and to achieve a satisfactory work life balance. These include career breaks, alternative working patterns, work place…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made to give better consideration to the accessibility to carers of employment initiatives and strategies.
Answer · Iain Gray: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government through the Department for Work and Pensions, and Jobcentre Plus.
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that service planners are consulting effectively and meaningfully with carers to increase the range, quality, flexibility and level of provision of respite services.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Service planners and providers are required under section 5A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to consult effectively with service users and carers on the provision of local community care services, including respite care, to ensure that services are app…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is consulting with carers and carers' organisations at (a) local and (b) national level to develop new ways of informing carers of their rights and support services.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Since the introduction of our Carers Strategy we have worked closely with carers' organisations at a national level to ensure that carers of all ages have access to appropriate information on their rights and about support, including financial support. From A…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure the full implementation of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and, in particular, of the national care standards.
Answer · Frank McAveety: We are phasing in regulation by the Care Commission of the wide range of services defined in the act. The implementation of the new registration and inspection framework set in place by the act, including application of the national care standards, is an oper…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are being made to increase resources for services that support carers and to ensure that such resources are effectively used.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The resources allocated by the Executive to local authorities to support carers, including resources to develop respite services, will have risen from £5 million in 1999-2000 to £21 million in the period 2003-04. The local government allocations for the next …
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all service planning and provision incorporates access to respite and transport services for carers.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34226 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is directing all NHS departments to audit service provision in order to ensure that it is accessible to carers.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The generic clinical standards of NHS Quality Improvement (previously the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland) require all NHS services to identify the needs of carers in line with the National Strategy for Carers. All NHS services should meet clinical stan…
21 Feb 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that resources allocated to support carers are tracked and result in changes for the better in carers' lives.
Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-34221 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/searc…
20 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many sufferers of multiple sclerosis are currently waiting for an assessment for beta interferon, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally. Only certain patients with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are likely to benefit from treatment with beta interferon and patients' eligibility for this treatment depends on the clinical judgement of the speci…
20 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how long, on average, multiple sclerosis sufferers wait for an assessment for beta interferon, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30808 on 12 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliamen…
12 Dec 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources it intends to provide to reduce waiting times for multiple sclerosis sufferers awaiting assessment for beta interferon.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer I gave to S1W-30808 on 12 November 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…
28 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #215 million allocated in the Spending Review 2002 for private sector housing purposes would otherwise have been treated as borrowing consents in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06.
Answer · Margaret Curran: At present, local authorities receive a single capital allocation for borrowing consents relating to capital expenditure on all areas except their own housing stock. It is for each local authority to decide how much of the single capital allocation is spent f…
20 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #215 million announced in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002 for repair and improvement grants includes money for owner occupiers in mixed tenure estates impacted on by large-scale stock transfers and, if so, how much wit…
Answer · Margaret Curran: No. The resources specifically earmarked to assist owner-occupiers affected by housing transfers are included elsewhere in the Social Justice budget. No final decisions about the allocation of the funding have been taken. These will be made in the context of …
20 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the #215 million announced in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002 has been earmarked for specific projects; if so, how much and for which projects.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31799 on 11 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliamen…
20 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any further resources in addition to the #215 million announced in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002 will be made available to take forward the work of the Housing Improvement Task force and, if so, how much.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31799 on 11 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
20 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #215 million announced in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002 will be allocated to each local authority in each of the three years to 2005-06.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-31799 on 11 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <A HREF="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
20 Nov 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #215 million announced in the ministerial statement on housing by the Minister for Social Justice on 7 November 2002 will be used to provide grant assistance for private sector housing.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Of the sum of £215 million announced on 7 November, £170 million will be allocated to local authorities on the basis of up to £50 million in financial year 2003-04 and £60 million in each of the following two years. The method for allocation between authoriti…
20 Nov 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to single parents.
Answer · Margaret Curran: In 2001, the Scottish Executive established a £1,000 child care grant for lone parents in higher education and over 1,600 lone parents have already accessed this grant. <P>The Executive provides a range of services, such as Sure Start Scotland, that meet the …
28 Oct 2002 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Executive is taking to ensure minimal disruption of road, rail and ferry services by adverse weather conditions this winter.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I have been concerned for some time about this issue. Yesterday Cabinet agreed to establish a Cabinet Sub-committee on flooding to be chaired by the Deputy First Minister.<P>The committee will meet soon and will consider what additional steps can be taken to …
2 Oct 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the main barriers to eliminating poverty under the devolution settlement.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive is tackling poverty through ensuring that opportunities are available for all to work where appropriate, to participate in society and to benefit from the provision of responsive public services. We are reducing the levels of poverty in Scotlan…
2 Oct 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a decent homes standard.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Improving the quality of the housing stock in Scotland is a key priority for the Scottish Executive. The Housing Improvement Task Force is giving consideration to possible ways in which the quality of the Scottish housing stock might be assessed and we will t…